


“Meri Sanam”

by AhmedA01



Category: 1960s Music Scene RPF, British Singers RPF, Music RPF, Rock Music RPF, The Beatles
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Fluff and Angst, India, M/M, Rishikesh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2014-02-26
Packaged: 2018-01-13 19:52:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1238824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AhmedA01/pseuds/AhmedA01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John, Paul, and a rainy afternoon in India.</p>
            </blockquote>





	“Meri Sanam”

**Author's Note:**

> Translations of the Indian phrases used in the story are at the end.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. Obviously. Unfortunately.

It rained today, and the villagers rejoiced.

The light pitter patter of rainfall on the roof awakened me early; I sat up in bed, curled fingers rubbing the last vestiges of sleep from my eyes as I lowered my feet to the floor, slipping into a pair of soft leather sandals and pulling on a white cotton kurta before silently padding towards the window.

The first rainfall of the season swept through our little community, the heavy drops of rain splitting the skies wide open and bringing sustenance and renewal. My eyes widened at the sight before me, the dizzying heat of yesterday already forgotten with the earth awash in cooling colour. A steady trickle of rain fell upon the vibrant green leaves, a burst of bright colour in an already vibrant landscape. A single ray of warming sunlight pierced the heavy clouds overhead, its light and heat granting nourishment to the flora and fauna that inhabited the surrounding countryside. I watched on as a layer of white haze dipped downward, flimsy vapour spreading out in tendrils towards the river, the movement of the crisp, clear water sluggish as it overflowed onto the banks, its stream swollen with the steady rainfall.

The Maharishi, accompanied by his most devout followers strolled through the grounds, leather sandals adorning tanned feet, each step creating a small splash of crystal clear water not yet soiled by the dirt roads. The women were wrapped in yards of colourful silk, long black hair wet against their backs. Gently caressing their faces, the unruly strands moved away with slender hands adorned by the reddish hues of henna, intricate designs swirling in chaos upon bronzed skin. They moved past my window as I peered out, the faint sounds of twinkling voices following their every step, the blues and greens of the glass bangles on their arms clinking together joyously.

_So unlike the rains of England_ , I thought to myself as my gaze remained fixed on the colours outside my window, so unlike the cheerless grays and the creeping frostiness that chilled one to the bone. Rainy days in England brought forth an omnipresent chill, its unyielding grip infusing ones blood, creeping throughout an increasingly lethargic body, its chill finally emitted with a silent gasp of breath, the creation of a soft puff of white in the surrounding air. As I continued to stand in front of the window, I yearned to feel the balmy rainfall upon my fingertips as I stretched my hand forward, but it was to no avail. The intricate network of pale blue bars and silvery gray lattice blocked my inquisitive fingers, thwarting my attempts more effectively than the mosquitoes whose entrance they were designed impede.

The silence was soon broken by the whisper of tiny feet, a small rustling sound that came from the corner of the room. I turned my head to see a small brown lizard skittering across the white walls, its eyes gleaming like twin black opals in its long face as it halted its downward descent to peer up at me. The creature watched me suspiciously; an intelligent gaze tuned into my every movement, gauging the tilt of my head and whether I was a threat from my stance. As I lifted a hand to gently scratch a patch of puffed red skin on the back of my arm, the aftereffects of a mosquito bite, the lizard started. With the flick of a small pink tongue and swish of a tail, it quickly scurried away, disappearing through an air conditioning vent in the corner of the room.

An amused smile playing upon my lips, I returned my gaze to the view outside the window, my fingers curling around the bars as I leaned my head against the cool metal. Mere seconds passed before my solitude was broken by the arrival of another unexpected visitor. I heard the slight creak of my door being gently pushed open, followed by the soft sounds of leather sandals hitting the floor. I was about to turn around to greet my mysterious guest but before I could do so, a pair of strong arms quickly encircled my waist. I immediately felt safe as the light scent of Nag Champa and cigarette smoke surrounded me, a feeling so familiar and welcome that I knew who it was at once.

“Su prabhat,” a deep voice whispered into my ear, goose bumps rising along my skin as the arms tightened around me, my back fitting perfectly against a muscular chest.

“Good morning to you too, John” I murmured, as I placed my fingers on the entwined hands that rested on my stomach, fingertips gently outlining slender veins and moving along smooth skin.

“I didn’t expect you to be up so early, I was hoping to surprise you. Perhaps wake you up with a little kiss,” John said softly, placing a light kiss on the side of my neck, causing me to arch my body towards his lips. “Or,” he whispered against my ear, a lascivious grin on his face, “Something a bit more fun.”

“Perv,” I responded with a grin. “Always thinking with your dick.”

“Well, love, what else am I supposed to think with?” he replied with a deep chuckle. “My brain is too full of bloody mantras to be able to think of anything else properly.”

I simply laughed, resting against my lover’s chest, feeling my back move with every breath he took.

”Where’s Jane then?” he asked, resting his chin on my shoulder as he turned his gaze on me, the dark flecks of green and gold in his eyes catching the early light.

“She decided to stay with Mia and Prudence last night,” I replied with a shrug, looking at him from the corner of my eye. “Something about falling behind in meditations or some such shite.”

With a start, I turned my head towards him, almost bumping my nose with his. “What?” I asked, almost incredulously. “You mean to tell me that you didn’t know if she was even here or not?”

Grinning, John threw me a sly wink. “Nope,” he answered playfully. “Thought I’d take a chance and come over here anyway.”

“Well, what if she was here?” I asked, slightly appalled by his careless attitude. Shaking my head, I tried to glare reproachfully at him, but our positions made it a bit hard to really face him head on. “I don’t know what Jane would have thought if she saw you creeping in here this early in the morning.”

“That, my friend,” John said, with an impish grin, “Was a risk I was more than willing to take.”

“You’re completely barmy, you know that?” I sighed with a shake of my head and a roll of my eyes.

“So, I’ve been told,” was John’s answer, a shrug accompanying his breezy manner. “Anyways,” he continued. “You never did tell me why you were up so early. Couldn’t sleep without the little lady?”

“No, I was sleeping fine,” I responded with a sigh, as I raised a finger to my mouth, absently chewing on an errant fingernail. “Really well, actually. But the sound of the rain woke me up. Funny thing, innit?” I snorted disgustedly. “You always hear that the bloody rain soothes you, but instead it woke me up at fucking 5 in the morning.”

“Poor little Paulie,” John said with mock sympathy, one hand reaching up to awkwardly pat me on the head. “Little Macca, always suffering one injustice or the other.”

Laughing, I twisted in my captor’s one-armed grip and turned to face him, placing a quick kiss on John’s stubbly cheek. “Shut up, Johnny,” I chuckled, as I moved out of his arms, walking away from John backwards. I took this opportunity to gaze upon John’s lithe frame, clothed in a cream-coloured kurta shot through with white embroidery around the collar; John looked at ease, relaxed in a way that I had not seen him in a long time. The loose-fitting Indian garment flattered his tall lanky frame, the draw string trousers and well-worn leather sandals driving me to distraction. Pausing slightly, I took a deep shaky breath to calm my fluttering nerves before favouring John with a quick smirk.

“Why are you up then?” I asked in return, pointing my finger at him. “In all the years that I’ve known you, I have never seen you up before 12. You’ve nearly given me a bloody heart attack from seeing you this early in the morning.”

His lips twitching from barely suppressed amusement, John advanced on me, “Chup raho, mere dost,” he growled in Hindi, making me as weak in the knees as a bloody American fan in the process. “The only reason I’m up, is that I wanted to see you.”

“You wanted to see me?” I sighed, eyes batting feverishly. With a hand gripping my chest, I pretended to faint, dramatically flinging myself onto the bed. “Oh dear lord,” I said all a tremble. “The great John Lennon actually wanted to see little old me?”

“Fucking prat,” John growled playfully, as he threw himself on top of me, pinning me to the bed with his knees as he sat atop my prone body. “Anyone ever tell you how bloody annoying you can be?”

I scrunched up my face, pretending to think it over. “Hmm,” I said, tapping a finger against my chin. “I do believe I have heard that selfsame sentiment expressed to me before. Actually, it was by you, and many, many times at that.”

With a sigh, John raised his eyes to the ceiling, “Macca, you are going to fucking kill me one of these days. Always prattling on and on about some nonsense or the other…”

Grinning, I grabbed a hold of John’s kurta and pulled him down, kissing him on the lips and cutting him off mid sentence. It was a soft, sweet kiss, lips touching lips for the briefest of moments, my tongue lightly tracing his mouth before letting go, and allowing John to fall to the bed beside me with a dull thud. He tasted like mint toothpaste and illicit tobacco, the tang clinging to my lips as I licked the taste of John away, savouring it in my mouth.

With a small sigh, I turned my head towards my fallen companion, snickering slightly as he lay there face down, his body still. I prodded him with my finger lightly, poking him in the side where I knew him to be the most sensitive. John’s body twitched slightly, but he still made no move to turn around.

“Why I do believe I’ve killed him,” I mused aloud, as I continued to prod and poke at John’s prone body. “What will I tell the others? ‘Hey lads, I think I killed John today with a little kiss. Sorry Cyn, fellas. But I think that is the end of the band and… Ahhhhh….”

Suddenly, John pounced on me with fiendish glee. I knew I was in trouble when I looked into his face, that devilish gleam in his eyes was back; the one that would always make an appearance before John would do something particularly wicked. He had the same look in his eyes every time he’d nick something from a store or when he urinated on the heads of those nuns in Hamburg from our balcony at the Bambi Kino. Before I knew it, he was tickling me mercilessly. Deft fingers skimming my sides, dancing along my ribcage and over my stomach. I howled with laughter, tears threatening to run down my face at the severity of John’s tickle attack.

“Okay! Okay! Stop!” I gasped out from between fits of laughter, as I attempted to speak between gulps of air. “I give up.”

His fingers poised for a second attack, John looked down at me, a triumphant smile on his face. “No more inane prattle?” he asked.

“No, no! I promise!” I swore, holding my hands up in mock surrender. “You won’t get another word out of me, silly or otherwise.” After a slight pause, I muttered under my breath. “Wanker.” Hey, I couldn’t give in that easily!

With a glint in his eyes, John came at me again, his fingers descending towards my unprotected stomach, the calloused digits wiggling threateningly.

“Sorry! No more!” I practically screeched. I tried to throw him off my body by moving my legs underneath John, but the bastard is a heavy one and I could not budge. “I swear, not one more word.”

Chortling, John got off my legs and sat Indian style beside me, his hands on his knees. I gingerly sat up and looking into John’s gleeful face, I gave him as dirty a look as I could muster. “You’re a fucking sadist, you know that?” I asked with a grimace, cradling my side.

“Of course, I bloody well know that,” John answered with a shrug. “Why else do you think I enjoy being with you so much? If not to torture you constantly.”

“Really?” I replied, aghast. Slapping the side of my face, I looked at John in feigned shock. “And here I thought that it was because of the fantastic sex.”

Lips twitching, almost uncontrollably, John shook his head in amusement “Shame on you, Macca,” he said with a note of faux disapproval, his reddish brown locks flying about his head as he continued to shake it at me. “You kiss your girlfriend with that mouth?”

Licking my lips like a dodgy tart, I treated John with a slow wink before responding in an exaggerated throaty voice, “Only when I have to,” I pouted, “but I’d much rather be using it on you.

“Mmm,” John moaned, lifting my chin with his fingers. “I do like the way you think.”

I moved my face closer to his as John treated me to a nice slow kiss, almost leisurely, our lips just barely touching. Our mouths slid smoothly against each other, the lightest of caresses before he took my lower lip into his mouth, spending considerable time sucking on the soft skin, making me bloody insane in the process. His warm tongue gently brushed against the inside of my lip, touching all the sensitive spots that he knew would drive me up the wall. With a moan, I tried to deepen the kiss, but John simply moved away, smirking as he took in my red lips and dazed expression.

As I tried to regain my composure, I threw John a dirty look, before rubbing a hand across my mouth, glaring at his grinning face.

”Is something the matter, Macca darling?” John asked, his face the perfect picture of innocence. Fucking bastard.

Not willing to play into his hands, I simply counted to three, in my head, of course, and replied, “No, nothing at all, John love,” an equally beatific smile in place. “So,” I continued, changing the subject, “How’d you escape Cyn this morning? Was she even awake yet when you left?”

“Just barely,” John replied offhandedly. “Told her I was going out for a walk or some such nonsense, don’t even remember what I said now,” he concluded with a shrug.

“Brilliant, Lennon,” I exclaimed, slapping my forehead with the palm of my hand. Shaking my head, I continued, “How you’ve kept this up without getting caught this long is beyond me.”

“Shurrup, Macca” John said semi-threateningly. “Remember what I said about inane prattle…”

“Oh, bugger off Lennon,” I shot back. “Or I’ll poke you in the side again.” To prove my point, I moved closer, finger poised to attack.

With a glare, John bit out “Don’t you dare,” before reaching into the pocket of his kurta, pulling out a small bundle of papers folded into a small square, the surface of the documents covered in scribbles and little drawings.

I peered at his hand curiously, a deep feeling of dread springing into my mind as I stared at the small bundle of papers, fearing that they may be the work of an undesirable individual. Attempting to appear cool and collected, I gestured towards the small bundle, “What’s that then?” I asked, training my voice so as not to sound too eager or too worried.

“Oh,” John said blankly, looking down at the papers in his hands before looking up at me. “They’re just some songs I scribbled down yesterday, thought you could help me out with a few of them. “

“Songs, huh?” I parroted, sounding slightly unconvinced. I knew that I should simply accept his explanation, but something inside me was just not satisfied by his words. Not leaving well enough alone, I probed further. “You sure they’re not letters from that dodgy little Japanese bird?”

His face colouring slightly, John glared at me angrily, his nostrils flaring. “Paulie, are ye daft?” he spat out. “They’re bloody songs; here take a look at them if you don’t believe me,” and with that John extended the papers towards me, motioning me to accept them. When I made no move to take the proffered bundle, John stuffed them back in his pocket with an incredulous sigh. “Why you keep bringing up that daft chit is beyond me.”

“Okay, Johnny,” I said, holding up my hands, trying to diffuse the tension. Smiling slightly I attempted to crack a joke, hoping to reestablish our usual light-hearted repartee. “No need to get your knickers in a twist. I was just asking.”

John turned his face away, and I feared that maybe I pushed him a little too much. I knew that Cynthia always harassed him about one thing or the other, it was the way their relationship had always been, but ours had always been different. With a sigh, I reached out to him, but just as I was about to place my and on his shoulder, John quickly turned back around, a serious expression on his face. Startled, I sat back on my knees as he moved towards me, cupping my cheek in his rough hands as he fixed his eyes on mine.

“You stupid git,” he said resignedly, his face still holding that serious look. “Who else would I wake up at fucking 5 AM for? Never for Cyn and definitely not for that loony bird who keeps coming around.” John looked down for a quick second, taking in a deep breath, his shoulders heaving slightly before returning his gaze to my face, a fierce look in his eyes. “It’s you, and always has been you, you ponce,” he said, his voice tight with emotion. John brought his face closer to mine, whispering softly, “Ishq jane kaise hua, na jane kyoon. But mujhe tumse such me pyar hai. Hum ho gaye aap ke.”

I looked at him in something akin to wonder as I slowly digested his words, my mouth falling open slightly as the seriousness of what he said began to sink in. I continued to stare at him, and not one word passed my lips as they got caught somewhere between my heart and my throat. I feared causing irreparable damage by not responding, but before I could do so, his lips descended upon mine, my heart continuing to race as our mouths touched. His lips slanted over mine, gently sucking on the bottom lip before catching it with his teeth in a delicate tug.

Groaning, I wrapped my hand around the base of his neck, fingers playing with the soft hair as I let my tongue lightly trace the corners of his mouth. John sighed audibly the parting of his lips allowing me to slip my tongue within. I ran it across the roof of his mouth, gently massaging his tongue with my own. The kiss grew more passionate, our lips moving with and against the other’s, attempting to taste and touch every last inch of each other’s mouth. I could still the taste the mint of his toothpaste and the remnants of a cigarette smoked in secret the night before, away from the watchful eyes of the Maharishi and his more rabid followers. The milky sweet taste of tea and the bitter tang of alcohol were there as well, flavours that will forever be a part of John, each kiss evoking memories of cold cups of tea drunk during songwriting sessions and warm beer sipped in the graveyard during the early days. The path of our relationship mapped out in the flavours of a kiss.

I could feel myself being pushed on my back, my body laying back against the soft pillows as John stretched out atop me, every inch of his body intimately molded to mine. Moving my lips from his, I placed light kisses along his jaw, making my way towards his throat, leaving a path of soft nibbles and licks. I stopped to lavish extra attention on a fluttering pulse point, licking and nibbling the tender skin, causing John to tremble. I could feel his hands moving under my kurta, his palms gently caressing the heated skin. I inhaled sharply as his fingers grazed a hardened nipple, a shot of pleasure coursing through my body.

John captured my lips again, biting my bottom lip roughly before whispering against my mouth, “Are you going to help me remove this bloody shirt, or will I have to rip it from your body?”

Chuckling at his impatience, I placed a hand on his chest, attempting to push him back slightly as I struggled to sit up. “No need, John love,” I whispered back. “The good thing about this outfit is that it can easily come off.”

Gripping the kurta by the bottom hem, I pulled it over my head with John’s help, though it was more like hindrance for in his impatience, he nearly ripped the damned thing in two. Once it was off, John pushed me onto my back again, his face resting on my chest, bestowing little kisses all along my upper body. With a small laugh that came out more like a breathy moan, I pushed him away, causing John to look up at me with heavily lidded eyes and a deep frown.

“What the fuck, Macca?” he grumbled. “Why did you make me stop?”

I gave him a pointed look, gesturing towards his fully clothed state. John looked down, a sheepish grin gracing his face. “Oh, sorry, love,” he muttered unintelligibly as he quickly pulled the cream coloured material over his head.

“Well, it’s only fair,” I murmured, as I pulled John down, his hands resting on either side of me on the bed as my hands played across his back, my mouth capturing a nipple.

John gasped as I sucked on the hardened bit of skin, biting it gently and following it up with the soothing lick of a rough tongue. John arched toward my mouth, as his lower body ground against me. I exhaled deeply as his erection brushed against mine, the small breath of air cooling the heated wetness of John’s skin. I kissed my way across his chest, bequeathing the same amount of attention on his second nipple as I had the first one.

“Paulie,” John gasped out from between licks, his hands tangling in my hair, attempting to hold my head close. “Don’t you fucking stop,” he moaned, his entire body quivering slightly, eyes closed and face flushed.

I smiled against his chest as I continued to kiss and lick his skin, covering as much surface as I could from the position that I was in. Gently biting the sensitive skin at his neck, I heard him whimper softly, his hold on my head loosening, arms falling slack to his sides. Taking my chance, I quickly flipped him over, his back hitting the bed with a soft thump as I moved atop him, my grinning face looking into John’s wholly confused one.

“What the fuck…?” he muttered, his eyes darting between his position on the bed and my smirking face. “This isn’t right.” Looking up at me he questioned, eyes narrowing, “Wasn’t I on top?”

Grinning, I shook my head in a negative. “John, John, John,” I said condescendingly. “Where have you been? This is how we’ve been all this time.” Forcing a worried look to my face, I placed a hand on his forehead. “Are you okay?” I asked the picture of motherly concern. “Do you need anything?”

John pulled me down with a low growl, crushing his mouth to mine in a bruising kiss, eliciting a groan from me. “Prick,” he muttered against my mouth. “Always messing about.”

Chuckling softly, I inched my way down John’s body, my lips leaving a burning path in their wake as I trailed them across his exposed skin. I sucked the skin right above the waistband of his drawstring trousers, running my tongue along the edge as I slowly tugged them down his legs and freeing his erection, leaving the pants bunched up at John’s feet.

Licking my lips in preparation, I shot a quick glance at John’s face, noting his closed eyes. My gaze still locked on John, I licked up along the underside of John’s penis, swirling my tongue around the tip before dragging my tongue down the other side. The minute my rough tongue touched him, John’s eyes flew open, a loud moan slipping past his lips.

“Shh,” I cautioned softly, my hand reaching up to gently touch John’s stomach. “Be quiet, love. Don’t want to awaken anybody.”

Looking at me with glazed eyes, John slowly nodded his head before letting it fall back on the pillow, teeth gently worrying his bottom lip.

With a soft sigh, I resumed my previous ministrations, licking John leisurely. Slowly, I lowered my parted lips on to his engorged penis, encasing it within my mouth, bringing my lips together as I began to suck gently. Using my teeth to gently scrape the underside of it, I moved one of my hands towards the base of his staff, running blunt nails down the area not covered by my mouth before delicately caressing his scrotum. I blew a soft stream of air onto him, the coolness of my breath hitting the wet skin, eliciting a sharp intake of air from John. Raising my head, I smirked at John as he lay there, his eyes closed tight as his hands gripped the bed spread on either side of him, balled up fists pale with the force of his grip.

I massaged John’s sac as my head moved up and down his rigid penis, scorching tongue massaging his dick in an alternating fast and slow motion. I could feel his body buck underneath me, his hips lifting off the bed as he sought to bury himself further within my mouth. With one last hard suck, John climaxed into my mouth with a grunt, milky semen filling my mouth. I threw her head back, and with eyes closed, I promptly swallowed it, cum burning a path down my throat.

I licked my lips, catching the few drops that clung to them my eyes closed as I savoured the taste. Opening my eyes, I found John staring at me rather intently, his chest rapidly rising and falling as he tried to get his breathing under control. Leaning down, I kissed him on the lips, a long openmouthed kiss allowing John to taste the flavours that clung to my tongue.

“Mmm…” John moaned as we broke apart, his eyes closing, a satisfied smile on his face.

I lay down beside him, my arms stretching over my head before letting my hands travel down my chest, fingertips lightly brushing skin as they moved towards my ever present erection of their own volition. Almost absentmindedly, I began to stroke myself, letting out an involuntary moan as the rough cotton my drawstring trousers rubbed deliciously against the sensitive tip. Eyes closed, the actions of my hand grew faster, bringing me closer to the edge.

Suddenly, a rough hand gripped mine, lifting it away from my body and placed unceremoniously on the bed. I groaned at the loss of contact as I lifted my hand again, but it was pinned down under John’s knee. Muttering curses under my breath, I pried open an eye to see John’s bright eyed gaze on me.

“Now, now Paulie,” he admonished, a slim finger wagging in front of my face. “What do you think you’re doing? Isn’t masturbation forbidden by one of the many tenets of Catholicism?” Moving his face close to mine he continued cheerily, a huge smile on his face, “Don’t want little Macca going to Hell now, do we?”

“John! Is this really the time for one of your fucking jokes?” I wailed. “Besides,” I continued, fixing him with a glare that soon turned to a slightly startled look of pleasure I felt his hand upon me, replacing my own. “You know that I haven’t been a bloody Catholic since the day I was baptized.”

“All the same,” John preached, “You should stop.” Chuckling at my angry stare, he leaned towards me, whispering conspiratorially, “But don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. It’ll be our little secret.”

With an exaggerated wink, John dipped his head, fingers quickly pulling the material of my pants down my legs. Desperately, I kicked the offending garment off, flinging over the edge of the bed where they landed on the floor noiselessly. I bit back a loud moan as John slowly swirled his tongue around the tip of my penis as he sucked on it gently, a hypnotic twirl motion accompanying the steady sucking motion. He let his tongue thrust into the slit at top, tasting the beads of pre-cum that clung to the skin, his tongue gently moving inside as I squirmed on the bed, completely at John’s mercy. Breathing became hard as he took my entire penis into his mouth, teeth lightly running along its length. Afterwards, he softly tongued my balls, licking the wrinkled skin before taking each onto his mouth for the briefest of moments.

I could feel myself nearing release as he moved his mouth back onto my stiffening erection, a resumed his previous ministrations, taking my dick in as far into his mouth as it could go with each successive suck. Feeling my eyes roll back into my head and a whimper falling from my lips, I came into his mouth, his mouth filling with cum, swallowing the viscous liquid in one mouthful.

My breathing not yet slowed, I looked up at him blearily, his face breaking into a Cheshire grin as he collapsed on the bed, both of laying together in a tangle of arms and legs. I lifted a heavy arm over John, wrapping my arms around him, as he rested his head on my chest. I turned slightly towards him, noticing the relaxed expression on John’s face, a half smile gracing his lips, as his eyes fluttered shut.

With a soft smile, I let a finger graze his cheek, asking softly, “Love, when dud you ever learn so much Hindi?”

Yawning wide, John pried his eyes open, bringing himself back from the brink of sleep to answer. “Oh,” he yawned, “I just picked it up here and there.”

Chuckling softly, I replied, “Well, I’m bloody impressed. I never…”

My sentence trailed off as the sound of soft snoring hit my ears.

“Sweet Johnny,” I whispered. “I probably shouldn’t let you sleep because you ought to leave soon, but…” I paused mid-sentence, letting loose a loud yawn before continuing. “But I suppose a few minutes wouldn’t hurt.”

With a sigh, I lovingly brushed the dark strands of hair from John’s face, before dropping a chaste kiss on his forehead. Closing my eyes, I soon followed John into sleep, whispering sleepily, “Meri sanam, mujhe thumse pyar hai, too.”

Outside the rain slowly stopped as the sun came out from behind the storm clouds, jagged streaks of violet and vermillion splitting clouds of grayish white, heralding the start of a new day.

**Indian Phrase Translations**

**Su prabhat. -**  Good Morning.

**Chup raho. -**  Shut up.

**Mere dost. -**  My friend.

**Ishq jane kaise hua. -**  I do not know how love started.

**Na jane kyoon. -**  I do not know why.

**Mujhe tumse such me pyar hai. -**  I really love you.

**Hum ho gaye aap ke. -**  I am yours now.

**Meri sanam. -**  My beloved.

**Mujhe tumse pyar hai. -**  I love you.


End file.
